Post Baby!

Giselle Liana Westerman was born on January 23, 2008. She was 5 days early, and I went in to labor the same day I decided to take a 7:15 am class after a one week hiatus from yoga!!

Labor was over 12 hours. It was challenging to say the least, but not impossible (largely due to the epidural!). So many students and teachers asked me if the yoga helped make labor easier, and the answer is NO, not in my case! From a physical standpoint, I’m not sure anything can prepare your body for the adventure that labor is. The experience is unique and not like anything else in life. Did yoga provide me with some tools for this experience? Yes….mostly from a mental and emotional standpoint though….my practice has allowed me to develop intense focus, stamina, and endurance through difficulty. All beneficial tools for life and labor and parenting!! Did yoga help me get my body somewhat “back” relatively quickly after she was born? Yes. I can say that with conviction. It was because of my practice that my body recovered pretty fast.

My first class back was 4 weeks after Giselle was born. My body was NOT the same at all. I’m not sure what my expectations were, but 10 months of not doing the floor series or standing head to knee or rabbit or sit ups certainly put me back at square one where these postures were concerned. It felt good to take class after such a long time, but it also was extremely exhausting and I was very sore the next day.

New body, new practice. The changes that pregnancy and labor have created in my muscles, ligaments, tendons are here to stay for a while, and that means altering my expectations for what my practice will now be. I am now working on developing patience in both my new role as a mother but also in the yoga room.

As I’m writing this, I am 9 weeks post partum and practicing about 3 times per week. There are days where I am extremely tired and the practice is very difficult, and days where I can surrender and it feels wonderful. I struggle now with distracting thoughts (mostly about the baby) and keeping my focus in the room. I also struggle with some of the compression postures, as my stomach muscles are still a bit tender. On the whole, I feel pretty good now and my body seems to be cooperating most of the time. At 9 weeks since Giselle was born, I can fit into some of my smaller yoga clothing and I owe that all to Bikram yoga!!!

Yoga is a wonderful gift to give yourself whether you are pregnant or not. It helps develop mental and physical strength and flexibility so that you can ride the ups and downs of life with balance. For me, it has been the one constant, stable factor in my life – something I can always turn to. And yet, while the postures and sequence are always the same (which is comforting) the practice is always evolving (sometimes 2 steps forward, and one step back!). I would encourage anyone who is pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant to practice – it will help your body and mind prepare for one of life’s most significant and rewarding transitions.

12 Weeks Post Baby

All the baby books will tell you that this is the time to get back into your exercise routine. And in some ways, this makes sense. Giselle is more on a schedule at this point, my body feels totally recovered, and I have been getting about 6-7 hours of un-interrupted sleep! However, I got back into yoga after one month. It was tougher than I thought, but like most people devoted to the benefits of yoga, I couldn’t wait any longer to practice!

What I struggled with mostly in that first month back was gaining back what I perceived to be my “normal” practice. What I didn’t realize was that this WAS my normal practice based on what I had been through emotionally and physically. Not to mention, the complete lack of sleep I was going on for her first 3 months here! Make no mistake, not sleeping affects emotions, strength, and willpower – I have never experienced yoga while only getting 4 hours of rest at most!

Now at 3 months since Giselle was born, I feel really good. My practice is solidifying into some semblance of where I was before. My flexibility and strength is on it’s way back up, and I’m able to control my thoughts a bit more in the room. Some poses still are challenging and my stamina isn’t quite what it was pre-baby. I have faith though, and am learning more so than ever, that the body is amazing and infinitely wise. Your body can go through some life changing experiences, whether it is labor, an accident, an injury or illness, and over time, with patience and discipline you can gain back what was lost. That’s the beauty of yoga.

Looking forward to teaching in May and seeing all of you wonderful students at Bikram Yoga San Jose!

Nicole Chetaud, BYSJ Teacher